Alles wel! Alles wel!

Dearest family and friends,

This week's title comes from hymn #30 ("Come, Come, Ye Saints") in English or hymn #15 in het Nederlands, because it was related to what we talked about yesterday in Sunday School and because that's one of my favorite hymns. We have so much to rejoice for and be grateful for! We have the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored on earth today! I love Elder Porter's talk from last Conference, "Beautiful Mornings". (Click here to read). And another Conference is coming up! I'm so excited!

This week our greatest miracles came from working through members. At the beginning of last week we decided to stop by some members and talk to them more about their family mission plan and what that really meant and how we could help. We were able to get some of their questions resolved and the next morning the wife called us very excited, wanting to set up an appointment with us both for her personal mission plan and goals and for their joint plan and goals. My companion and our sister training leader met with her during exchanges about her personal plan and we've got an appointment tonight to talk about their joint plans. They're getting really excited about it and that's neat to see. Also, yesterday a member brought her friend (who she actually hadn't seen in a long time) to the baptism of a child in our branch. She really enjoyed it and we've got an appointment with her now. She really felt the Spirit yesterday, she really likes us, and she already said that she does want to come to something else too, so those are all good signs. Also, Friday night some members joined us for our dinner appointment with a part-member family that they home teach. They suggested that the wife take the lessons from us and she agreed. It won't happen until after the husband's surgery, but it was definitely a big step.

Life is good in the hood, and also in Assen! Hopefully there also, wherever there is for you. I'm grateful for you all and I love you! The gospel is true and miracles happen. Of that I have no doubt. We just have to be brave enough to open our mouths--we all need that courage, whether we are missionaries or members. But the Lord will help with all the rest, because this is His work, always and forever.

I love you all!

Stake Conference and Transfers!

This week was great! Yesterday was stake conference in Zwolle and that was pretty swell. President and Sister Robinson both spoke and so did some recently returned misisonaries. Transfers happened last week: 30 new elders! The mission blog's got the details. (Click here for the blog). We now have 148 missionaries in our mission! And a year ago there were only 68. Crazy amount of growth! But it's awesome. It's way cool to see everybody stepping up to the changes. And it's way exciting to see so many missionaries here! Most of the sisters stayed more or less the same. I'm super excited for another great transfer in Assen!

One of my favorite things to do now is to work with members. Strong members are so important, especially with missionary work! I also love to see how much the Lord is involved in this work. Really, this is His work, and He's doing it. We are just privileged enough to be allowed to be a part of it.

I love you all!

Love,
Sister Stevens

It's a Miracle!

First of all, everyone needs to read the talk "It's a Miracle" from Elder Neil L. Andersen from last conference. Amazing and so so true. (click here to read)

Second of all...our investigator got baptized!!! And confirmed yesterday. Pretty much two of the best days ever. It is so incredible to see someone taking that step in their life towards something so much greater! And he was so ready. He bore his testimony after his baptism, sharing the story from how he felt he needed to go home early from his bike ride after he saw us at his neighbor's house, and how it looked like there was more light than usual in that carport where we were standing when he first saw us trying to get ahold of his neighbor. He also said that he knew that if he went back, his life would be changed. Well, changed it was! The branch welcomed him really well and we're way excited for him and for them. Being there for his confirmation was even more special than his baptism, especially because I know how much that gift of the Holy Ghost will mean to him personally.

I'll be staying here in Assen with Sister W. this transfer! Now it's all of the Elders going through major changes: 30 coming in this transfer, no more sisters for now.

I learned a lot this week about how to recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost as they come to me, and also a lot about how and when to testify. The how is with the Spirit and with conviction, and the when is always. The other day we were given a non-member referral, who we contacted. The man almost immediately began bashing on Joseph Smith, whose name he didn't even know properly (he kept saying John Smith). This might not have been the most powerful or clear testimony I've ever borne, but I was able to stand without backing down, look that man in the eye, and say, "Joseph Smith was a prophet of God." I don't remember what else I said, but I know that I was able to say that much, for which I am grateful. We can't get frustrated or angry when confronted by such people, that only drives away the Spirit. But we can always testify, no matter what else they do or say or how little they listen. Just because some people won't act on our message doesn't mean we shouldn't invite them to action. They can't act without an invitation. And if they turn it down, that is their loss. The purposes of God are still being accomplished.

I love this quote from President Monson, "[Missionary work] requires long hours and great devotion, selfless sacrifice and fervent prayer. As a result, dedicated missionary service returns a dividend of eternal joy which extends throughout mortality and into eternity."

And this one from Elder Eyring about missionary work: "Since you know that the Lord always prepares a way to keep his commandments, you can expect that He will do that for each of you."

It's true! So go out and share it!

Hooray for Members!

I don't have a ton of time this week, but I just wanted to say that good members involved in missionary work are indispensable. This week especially demonstrated that to me. Everyone needs to read Preach My Gospel! Also make a family/personal mission plan, kind of like a stake/ward mission plan, but more specific (and with dates). That is something our stake is doing, and it is amazing to see our members rising to the occasion on that one.

I'm doing great! We had another zone training this week (thanks so much everyone for the letters), and that was fantastic. I learned tons.

I've learned a lot about faith this week, and more over this transfer. Faith precedes and produces miracles, of that I have no doubt.

The gospel is true!  

Onward and Upward

Howdy!

Our baptismal date is making so much progress! I'm super excited for him! Because of Stake Conference, we've moved the date up to August 31st, which is fast, but he's totally ready.

This week was awesome! We finally found a recent convert who lives far away and who no one has been able to make contact with. We've got an appointment with him to go through the new member lessons with him!

Life is good and missionary work is great! We need more member missionaries, so invite your friends to church! Read your scriptures and stay strong!

I love you all!

Faith Precedes and Produces Miracles

Hallo from Assen, (actually Arnhem right now, but I´ll explain that in a minute)

So, my first full week in Assen the Christ-like attribute I was working on developing was faith. And boy we needed it. Things started out a little slow there. But at the beginning of this last week, every day of that faith paid off. 

Our first Sunday night here we were looking some people up, and were debating knocking there or going somewhere else when a man rode up on his bike, just back from a training bike ride. I felt like we needed to talk to him, so we did. And he wasn´t interested. Believed in ¨something¨ but not necessarily God, not religious, and not interested. Those of you who have served or are on missions know the type. But I kept talking to him, using ¨comebacks¨ as our mission president has asked us to, and it turns out he just had a lot of great unanswered life/soul questions, all of which can be answered by the gospel. So we taught him basically the entire restoration, there on his driveway, and committed him to read the Book of Mormon and invited him to pray about it too (said he would on the first, the second he was less enamored with). We said we´d come back in a week to see how he´d like it, which he said was fine. Then, I figured we´d gotten that far, further than I expected, and so I asked him if we could pray with him right there on his driveway. He gave me about the funniest look ever, but said okay, so we did.

Then we went by on Monday, figuring maybe he´d glanced at the Book of Mormon if we were lucky. He´d read up through 2 Nephi 29 and had prayed and gotten an answer. Plus he had found D&C online and had read up through section 60. Say what?! Yes. And then he showed me Mormon 7:10 (And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.) So, naturally, I extended a baptismal invitation. And he said, basically, probably, but I know I need to change some things in my life first. 

So we set up an appointment, in which he more or less taught us the Plan of Salvation (also online) and the Word of Wisdom. And so we´re working towards 7 September with him for his date. And he came to church on Sunday and we had another lesson with him at a member´s home on Saturday! He´s about the coolest, most prepared person I´ve ever met, and he´s Dutch, which is even cooler.

The Lord prepares people. And our faith and the faith of the members here and throughout the world and family and friends truly produce miracles as we trust the Lord and ask for those.

On a side note, I went to Brussels for legality on Wednesday (so much fun, the waffles were unbelievable and I saw nearly everyone in my MTC group again, which was the best). And we are having district P-day right now in Arnhem! (We had district meeting here earlier today). Life is the best! The gospel is true and I love you all!

Love,

Zuster Stevens

Hallo again! From Assen

Hoi!

As the work always is when opening a new area, the work has been just a little tiny bit slow this week. But things are picking up and it's all good. We had Zone Training on Friday, which was awesome, as always. Learned lots and got another good boost that should last until the next one. We finally were able to meet with the most promising of the Elders' former investigators. The members still love us, the weather's getting significantly better, and life is good in the hood, and in Assen (which, by the way, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. And when vacantie [vacation] is over, few people will be as happy about that as I, but that's another story. I am doing great, I love the work and I love Assen. Read your scriptures!

Love,

Zuster Stevens